The State Department ordered some diplomats and the families of US government employees to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as Houthi attacks turned near-daily.
Zoom in: The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said one resident was killed and eight were injured in an attack on King Fahad international airport in Dammam, on the Gulf near Bahrain and Qatar. Flightradar24 tracked flights diverting away from the airport.
- Falling debris from the interception of a drone aimed at an oil facility in the country's southeast killed two more people and injured two others, the Saudi energy ministry said.
What they're saying: State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott cited attacks on "civilian airports and other critical infrastructure" by the Iranian-supported Houthis in Yemen. "The safety and security of department personnel and their families remain our highest priority," he said.
The backstory: The Riyadh embassy was badly damaged at the start of the US war on Iran and ran with a skeleton staff for months before some diplomats returned in recent weeks. A Houthi strike on Riyadh's airport earlier this month was the kingdom's deadliest in years.
Yes, but: NBC and AFP reported that families of US embassy personnel were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. Pigott called those reports inaccurate and said the order covers the Riyadh embassy and its satellite consulates only.
What's next: The New York Times reported that the administration has developed plans with Israel for a "short but intensive operation" against Iran, after defense secretary Peter Hegseth met Benjamin Netanyahu this week. Trump has said publicly that he intends to hold off until after the November 3 elections.
Why it matters: Airports and oil facilities have been the main targets of the recent Houthi missile and projectile strikes on Saudi Arabia, which puts regional air travel and crude supply in the same line of fire. Travellers with Gulf connections should expect diversions.
